Emma Meyer 21st September, 2012 EDC 102H Dr. Fogelman
Early Schooling
Looking at my collegiate achievements up until this point in time, one may find it hard to believe that I have not always been a model student. During both elementary and middle school, I can remember being an extremely defiant child. I had trouble interacting with my peers appropriately, engaging in verbal and physical fights on numerous occasions. I did not respect many authority figures. My academic record was also relatively poor. Because these mishaps can be attributed to a less than perfect childhood and a lack of challenge within my studies, I see few characteristics of the student I used to be. While many factors play into my positive progression, there was one teacher in particular that stands out in having the biggest influence on my early schooling.
In third grade, my teacher Mrs. Schwartz was a particularly intimidating figure to my seven year old self. Her no-nonsense policy left little room for my usual antics within the classroom. In fact, the one time I do remember overstepping my respective boundaries resulted in her flipping my desk over, with the demand that I pick everything up that had fallen. Nonetheless, despite these evidently unorthodox (and somewhat crooked) disciplinary actions, Mrs. Schwartz was the most effective teacher I have ever had. Since she eliminated all notion of disobedience, I had no other option but to concentrate on her teachings. Mrs. Schwartz was also the first to notice that my grades were subpar because I did not feel challenged within school, and as a result, made a personalized curriculum for me and a select few. This not only improved my grades, but my overall confidence and work ethic.
Mrs. Schwartz’s style of teaching has left a lasting effect on me in regards to how I believe a teacher should perform their duties. While I don’t necessarily agree with flipping over desks when a student is unruly, her methods in excelling students’ academic performance was unrivaled. Taking a personalized approach to every students’ needs allowed each child to excel at the optimal pace, ensuring the most improvement from each individual. She and my grade school experience in general, taught me of the importance of becoming self-motivated to excel regardless of those around you, improving my work ethic exponentially.
21st September, 2012
EDC 102H
Dr. Fogelman
Early Schooling
Looking at my collegiate achievements up until this point in time, one may find it hard to believe that I have not always been a model student. During both elementary and middle school, I can remember being an extremely defiant child. I had trouble interacting with my peers appropriately, engaging in verbal and physical fights on numerous occasions. I did not respect many authority figures. My academic record was also relatively poor. Because these mishaps can be attributed to a less than perfect childhood and a lack of challenge within my studies, I see few characteristics of the student I used to be. While many factors play into my positive progression, there was one teacher in particular that stands out in having the biggest influence on my early schooling.
In third grade, my teacher Mrs. Schwartz was a particularly intimidating figure to my seven year old self. Her no-nonsense policy left little room for my usual antics within the classroom. In fact, the one time I do remember overstepping my respective boundaries resulted in her flipping my desk over, with the demand that I pick everything up that had fallen. Nonetheless, despite these evidently unorthodox (and somewhat crooked) disciplinary actions, Mrs. Schwartz was the most effective teacher I have ever had. Since she eliminated all notion of disobedience, I had no other option but to concentrate on her teachings. Mrs. Schwartz was also the first to notice that my grades were subpar because I did not feel challenged within school, and as a result, made a personalized curriculum for me and a select few. This not only improved my grades, but my overall confidence and work ethic.
Mrs. Schwartz’s style of teaching has left a lasting effect on me in regards to how I believe a teacher should perform their duties. While I don’t necessarily agree with flipping over desks when a student is unruly, her methods in excelling students’ academic performance was unrivaled. Taking a personalized approach to every students’ needs allowed each child to excel at the optimal pace, ensuring the most improvement from each individual. She and my grade school experience in general, taught me of the importance of becoming self-motivated to excel regardless of those around you, improving my work ethic exponentially.